Mount Vernon High School celebrates the achievements of senior students Sala Glandon, Ben Henricksen, and Lucy Rush, who have been named Semifinalists in the prestigious National Merit Scholarship Program.
"Mount Vernon High School is proud to announce that three of its seniors have been named National Merit Semifinalists: Sala Glandon, Ben Henricksen, and Lucy Rush," according to the Jacket Journal.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) recently released the names of more than 16,000 Semifinalists in its 71st annual competition. These students now have the opportunity to advance in the selection process for approximately 7,140 National Merit Scholarships, collectively valued at nearly $28 million, to be awarded in the spring of 2026.
To qualify for the 2026 program, more than 1.3 million juniors from roughly 20,000 high schools across the United States took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). This exam served as the initial screening tool for identifying high-achieving students. Semifinalists represent less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and include the highest scorers in each state.
In order to progress to Finalist status, Semifinalists must meet rigorous academic and personal criteria. These include maintaining an outstanding academic record, achieving qualifying scores on the SAT or ACT, and securing a recommendation from a school official. Finalists will then be considered for various types of National Merit Scholarships, including corporate-sponsored, college-sponsored, and NMSC-funded awards.
Glandon, Henricksen, and Rush are now one step closer to being considered for the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program.
